BUTTINGTON Musical Theatre Company’s (BMTC) new production of 'Annie', the heartwarming musical about the little New York orphan girl, opens at Trewern Community Centre, near Welshpool, on Wednesday with final performances at 7.30pm on Friday and on Saturday, November 16.

Annie is the lone cheery spirit at the Municipal Orphanage in New York’s Lower East Side in the depths of the Depression in 1933.

She escapes to try to find her real parents and befriends a mongrel dog who she names Sandy. But she is returned to the orphanage under the care of Miss Hannigan, the tyrannical spinster in charge.

County Times:

But Annie’s life is turned upside down when she is chosen to spend Christmas with the billionaire industrialist Oliver Warbucks in his Fifth Avenue mansion and he vows to help her find her parents by offering a $50,000 reward.

Miss Hannigan and her con-artist brother Rooster and his floozy girlfriend Lily scheme to masquerade as Annie’s parents to try to get hold of the money but will they get away with it.

Can even President Roosevelt come to the rescue and help Annie celebrate her happiest Christmas ever.

Based on the long running American comic strip 'Little Orphan Annie', the story has gone on to become both a hit Broadway musical and film.

Two girls, Alys Shirley-Smith and Lucy Tomkins, share the title role of Annie in this new amateur production, with two sets of children alternating the roles of the six other orphan children.

Rebecca Shepherd-Royal plays Miss Hannigan, Mike Shepherd-Royal is Rooster, Stevie Fleet is Lily, Doug Skilton is Warbucks and Phil Evans is Roosevelt. Other roles are played by Linda Skilton, Martin Webb, Elsie Edwards, Jessica Morgan, Dave Andrews, Sue Williams, Megan Bowen, Ffion Skilton, Mared Smith and Mali Ellis.

Alys Shirley-Smith as Annie heads up the Chrysler cast team with Brooke Hough, Lillie Jones, Ruby Pryce, Alice Joyce, Thea Smith and Cerys Shirley-Smith; while Lucy Tomkins is Annie in the Empire State cast team, with Amber Marck, Megan Lloyd, Caitlyn Ingram, Ella Hopwood, Mia Hopwood and Maya Birch.

Tickets are £8 for adults and £5 for under 16s, available from Reflections Hairdressers, cast members, on 01938 553286, or on Buttingtonmtc@gmail.com